Have you ever heard the phrase “when I am going to use this in real life?” when your child is doing their math? If you’re like most parents, I’m sure you have. Make It Real Learning takes math concepts that students are learning and applies them to real life situations which allows students to understand why they need to know certain math concepts and make the connection between book math and real world math.
Make It Real Learning: Volume 2 math curriculum picks up were the Make It Real Learning: Volume 1 left off. It includes the following topics:
- Arithmetic II
- Fractions, Percents, Decimals III
- Fractions, Percents, Decimals IV
- Geometry I
- Geometry II
- Graphing & Other Algebra Skills I
- Graphing & Other Algebra Skills II
- Linear Functions III
- Periodic & Piecewise II
- Quadratic II
- Sets, Probability, Statistics II
Each of the 11 books in the volume contain 10 real life math activities as well as the step-by-step solution keys for a total of 110 real life activities. The activities are mapped according the common core state standards for mathematics. Teachers are able to make multiple copies of the workbook for use in their own classroom/home. Because the activities are based upon real world events, teachers do not need to go hunting for their own examples which cuts down on prep time. Students from grades 3 to college can benefit from the activities contained in the books in this volume.
My Thoughts:
We had previously been given the opportunity to review Volume 1 of the Make It Real Learning series and very much enjoyed it, so I jumped at the chance to review the newest volume. Volume 2 picks up where Volume 1 left off which allows the students to continue with the real life learning experiences only on a more advanced level. One of the things that Munchkin really likes about this series is that it incorporates real life situations into the learning environment. She doesn’t need to sit there and wonder “when am I going to use this in real life” because she can see through these practical application scenarios when she would use those particular math skills. It gives her the opportunity to take the math that she was learning in her regular math curriculum and apply them in every day situations.
Because we were away from the computer/internet due to life circumstances, these sets of math problems were used quite frequently. I received the pdf download of the product which allowed us to either use them on the kindle or print them out as needed. We did a combination of both since we didn’t always have access to a computer/printer. I found that after using these sets Munchkin was able to do better with her regular math curriculum. I believe that is because it allowed her to see the equations put into practice and make sense of what the mathematical equations truly meant in real life.
One thing to keep in mind with these sets is that they do not teach the concepts/equations. Students need to know the concepts already. These are just practical application problems. By using things that many students will be interested in, the equations help the concepts/equations come to life. The answer key gives basic information for solving the equation as well as the answer. A step-by-step answer is something that we prefer in our home as we like to compare Munchkin’s calculations to those given in the answer key when she gets an answer wrong. For us, it’s part of the learning process. For most problems, the answer key is adequate to do this, but there are a few situations where more detail would have been preferred.
Munchkin enjoys the challenges presented by the real life scenarios in these sets which, for us, makes these sets a winner in my book. Because each of the equations is independent from the other, we are able to jump around from one set to another as needed. If you’re looking for a practical application tool to supplement your current math curriculum, this may just be what you need.
I received a copy of the above mentioned product to help facilitate the writing of a frank and honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed, and all opinions are my own.
